1. Early Sanskrit texts suggest that people of Bengal did not speak Sanskritic languages.
2. Xuan Zang observed that languages related to Sanskrit were in use all over Bengal in the 7th century.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & Solution
Correct option is C
Explanation:
Statement 1 (Early Sanskrit texts suggest that people of Bengal did not speak Sanskritic languages.) – Correct:
→ Ancient Sanskrit texts indicated that the early inhabitants of Bengal spoke non-Sanskrit regional dialects.
→ Commercial and cultural interactions between Bengal and Magadha gradually facilitated the spread of Sanskrit influence.
Statement 2 (Xuan Zang observed that languages related to Sanskrit were in use all over Bengal in the 7th century.) – Correct:
→ Chinese traveler Xuan Zang (Hiuen Tsang) visited India during the 7th century AD.
→ He documented that dialects closely derived from or related to Sanskrit were spoken across all parts of Bengal.
Information Booster:
→ Modern Bengali belongs to the Indo-Aryan language family and evolved through Magadhi Prakrit.
→ Bengali literature is divided into two broad categories: Sanskrit-dependent and independent folk traditions.
→ The Mangalakavyas are auspicious narrative poems written in Bengal between the 15th and 18th centuries.
→ The Nath literature includes songs of Mayanamati and Gopichandra, representing independent popular traditions.
→ Under the patronage of the Pala and Sena dynasties, Sanskrit culture deeply influenced the Bengali region.